Australia to subsidize air freight for agri exports to offset virus freeze

2020-04-28

Australia’s government said on Wednesday it will spend A$110 million ($67.40 million) to subsidize air freight for exports of agricultural products after flights were severely disrupted due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

About 90% of Australian air freight is usually transported in planes carrying tourists. But with scores of countries closing their borders to stop the spread of the virus, many Australian exporters have been unable to export their products.

To kickstart sales, Canberra said it will subsidize flights to China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, markets that typically pay a premium for Australian products such as Wagyu beef, rock lobster and cherries.